Japanese companies invest more than 40 billion pounds ($52 billion) in the U.K. with carmakers Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. helping employ thousands of workers in economically-depressed parts of Britain, according to Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The U.K. government has courted both companies to keep their factories in the country in spite of the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

“I have come to Japan to build on our historic relationship, which is based on common values, support for democracy, human rights and free and open markets,” said Johnson in emailed comments. He will then travel on to New Zealand and Australia.